European Leagues Review: Chelsea Humiliate Arsenal, Barcelona Edge Madrid in El Classico as PSG Extend Ligue 1 Lead

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea became the latest club to give Arsenal a thorough hiding after the Blues ruined Arsene Wenger’s 1,000^th game in charge of the Gunners with a 6-0 win at Stamford Bridge. Samuel Etoo opened the floodgates for the hosts in the 5^th minute before Andre Schurrle, Eden Hazard and Oscar all found the back of the net before half time in a game that was marred by controversy after referee Andre Mariner wrongfully sent off Kieran Gibbs for a handball instead of the real culprit, Alex Oxlade Chamberlin. Two more goals after the interval from Oscar and Mohammed Salah completed the rout as Jose Mourinho extended his unbeaten head-to-head record against Wenger to 11 matches, win 6, draw 5. Both Manchester City and Liverpool pounced on Arsenal’s loss with high scoring victories against Fulham and Cardiff respectively. Luis Suarez netted his third hat-trick of the season as Liverpool cruised 6-3 at Cardiff City, Martin Skytel adding a brace and Daniel Sturridge also netting for the rampant Reds. Yaya Toure also scored a hat-trick in Man City’s 5-0 demolition of bottom club Fulham at the Eitihad. Wayne Rooney scored twice, the first a stunning goal from halfway line as Manchester United bounced back at West Ham with a 2-0 win while there were also wins for Champions League chasing Everton and Tottenham who both won 3-2 against Swansea City and Southampton respectively.

SPANISH LA LIGA

Lionel Messi’s was once again the star of the El Classico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid after the Argentine netted a hat-trick to help the Catalans edge out Madrid 4-3 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Barcelona pulled ahead in the 7^th minute through Andre Iniesta but Real Madrid drew one back in the 20^th minute through Karim Benzema who was again on target four minutes later as the hosts took a 2-1 lead. Messi scrambled the equalizer for Gerardo Martino’s men before the interval. Cristiano Ronaldo put his name to the scorers list converting a 55^th minute penalty only for Messi to draw Barca level 10 minutes later also from the spot kick as Sergio Ramos was sent off. The Argentine would have the last say in the game as he scored from the spot kick again in the 85^th minute to give Barca a win that blew the La Liga title race open again as only one point separate the top three. Atletico Madrid won 2-0 at Real Betis to see them leapfrog Real into top position with both teams locked on 70 points but Diego Simeone’s men have a better head-to-head record.

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich will have to wait for one more matchday before they could lay claim to the Bundesliga title. The Bavarians’ 2-0 win at Mainz 05 could have seen them claim the German title had Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund fail to win their matches. Late goals from Bastian Schweinstegier and Mario Gotze gave Bayern the win but their title celebrations were put on ice by Dortmund who won 3-0 away to Hannover 96, while Jens Keller’s Schalke dismissed bottomside Eintracht Braunschweig 3-1. Pep Guardiola’s men could still secure the title on matchday 27 at Hertha as Dortmund will host Schalke. Bayer Leverkusen’s recent poor form continued as they were beaten 2-3 by Hoffenheim. It is now nine straight games without victory for Sami Hyypia’s men. Borussia Monchengladbach moved to within two points of fourth-placed Leverkusen with a 3-0 home win over Hertha while Stuttgart moved out of the relegation zone with a solitary goal win over Hamburger SV.

ITALY SERIE A

Juventus took yet another giant step to retaining the Serie A title after scrapping to their third straight 1-0 win away at Catania. Carlos Tevez netted the only goal at the hour mark for Antonio Conte’s side who remain 14 points ahead of second placed AS Roma who won 2-0 at Chievo. A goal in the 87^th minute from Joaquin settled the third versus fourth clash between Fiorentina and Napoli but the latter still remain 7 points ahead of their weekend conquerors. Milan sides, Inter and AC Milan continued their slump this season with the former losing 1-2 to Atlanta while Clarence Seedorf’s side were held to a 1-1 stalemate at Lazio. Sampdoria crushed Hellas Verona 5-0.

FRENCH LIGUE 1

Leaders Paris Saint Germain’s title ambitions received a major boost on the weekend after seeing Monaco held to a 1-1 draw by Lille. The draw allowed PSG to open a 10-point gap at the top having won their match against Lorient 1-0 on Friday, Thiago Motta with the lone strike. Herve Renard’s Saint Ettiene moved to within touching distance of Champions League football with a 3-1 win over visiting Sochaux, a result that put them within a win of Lille. Olympique Marseille failed to win for the fourth consecutive game after going down 0-1 to Rennes while bottom club Ajjacio edged out Vallencienes 3-2.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals Draw: Man United Face Bayern, Real Madrid Land Dortmund

Bayern Munich’s quest to become the first team to defend the UEFA Champions League test will be given a stern test right from the quarter finals after the defending champions were drawn to play Manchester United in the competition’s quarterfinals stage.

The Bundesliga outfit will travel to Old Trafford for the first leg clash which will take place on April 1 and 2 with the return leg at the Bayern Arena set for April 8 and 9.

Last year’s losing finalists, Borussia Dortmund, will take on Real Madrid in what will be a repeat of last year’s semifinals clash which the German side edged out.

Premier League frontrunners, Chelsea, have been paired with French side Paris Saint Germain while Barcelona will have to maneuver past  fellow La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

                                                Quarterfinals

Manchester United                        vs                            Bayern Munich

Paris Saint Germain                       vs                            Chelsea

Real Madrid                                  vs                            Borussia Dortmund

Barcelona                                      vs                            Atletico Madrid

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

Kenya Premier League Week 6 Preview: AFC Leopards Host Leaders Chemelil, Defending Champions Gor Mahia Travel to Nakuru

The Kenya Premier League action enters its sixth matchday this weekend with all the 16 teams in action in different fields across the country.

Chemelil Sugar assumed leadership of the league standings last weekend, the sugar millers’ 2-0 win over whipping boys Nakuru AllStars seeing them leapfrog Western Stima to the top.

The Edward Manoah led outfit will have a much tougher outing this Saturday when they face AFC Leopards at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday. Leopards collected their first full points of the season, Allan Wanga’s penalty leading them to a 1-0 victory over unbeaten Sony Sugar. That vital win must have eased the pressure on coach James Nandwa but only temporarily as he’ll be back on the hotseat when they host league leaders Chemelil at Nyayo Stadium. 

Former Harambee Stars custodian, Francis Onyiso, will be in the dugout for Ulinzi Stars when they visit Tusker FC in the early Saturday kickoff. The military outfit became the latest club to join the managerial merry-go-around after their coach Salim Ali resigned after a poor start to the season that has seen them draw all their first five matches. Their host’s Tusker, collected their third win on the trot beating KCB 2-1 to see Kimanzi’s men remain 4th on the log, just a point adrift of 1st place and with a game in hand.

There will be three points for the taking for reigning champions Gor Mahia when they travel to Afraha Stadium on Saturday for a clash against Nakuru AllStars. Nakuru are the only team yet to register a point, five games into the season. They face a Gor Mahia side who had won all their first three matches until they visited boogey team Thika United who escaped with a draw in their midweek clash. However, Kogalo will be confident of leaving Nakuru with three points which could put them on top of the table standings if other results go their way.

There will be a busy schedule on Sunday as five matches will be on the cards. Sony Sugar will aim to bounce back from their first defeat of the season when they play Nairobi City Stars in the early Sunday kickoff before 6th placed Thika United play host to winless KCB. Henry Omino’s Western Stima have had an encouraging start to their season and they will be favorites to collect maximum points when they play host to Bandari who have lost their past four matches. 

The other two matches will feature Mathare United against the in-form Muhoroni Youth as Sofapaka take their title hunt to Nyayo Stadium against KRA.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Complete UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals Lineup

Manchester United and Dortmund filled the two remaining slots for the UEFA Champions League quarters with the former edging out Olympiacos while the latter progressed in spite of a home defeat to visiting Zenit St. Petersburg.

United scored the three goals they needed against Greek side Olympiakos who wasted several opportunities to score an away goal that could have made the English side’s work on the night much tougher. Robin van Persie scored all the three goals for the Red Devils but it was old guard Ryan Giggs who caught the eye with a vintage performance that made a joke off the much younger players on the pitch.

The hosts needed to score an early goal and it took them 25 minutes to go ahead, Van Persie converting a penalty after he had been howled down by the visitors’ Jose Holebas. The Dutchman doubled his and United’s lead just before half time slotting in Wayne Rooney’s cutback to level the tie on aggregate.

The home team scored what would be the winning goal 7 minutes after resumption through Van Persie's stunning freekick from outside the area. David Moyes' side survived nervy moments in the game as a goal from the visitors would have seen them crush out but profligacy from the Greek's frontline saw the hosts see off the rest of the match and ensure they will be in the draw for the quarters for the first time since 2011.

German side Borussia Dortmund also qualified to the last-8 in spite of losing 1-2 to Zenit St. Petersburg at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund. Having won the first leg 4-2, the Bundesliga side fell behind to a Hulk strike at the quarter hour mark but Sebastian Kehl’s 38^th minute header helped calm the home team's nerves before half the interval.

Venezuela international Rondon netted the winner for the Russians in the 73^rd minute but the damage had already been done a fortnight ago as the Bundesliga outfit progressed with a 5-4 aggregate win.

Jurgen Klopp and David Moyes’ side will be in the quarterfinals draw tomorrow, Friday, alongside German side Bayern Munich, La Liga trio Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, English side Chelsea and Ligue 1’s Paris Saint Germain.

Defending champions Bayern Munich qualified for the quarters with a 3-1 aggregate win over Arsenal, the same as Chelsea's win against Galatasaray. Real Madrid were rampant against Schalke 04 who they beat over the two legs scoring 9 goals and conceding only two. Also-favorites, Barcelona, ended Manchester City's quarterfinals hopes with a 4-1 result over the two legs with their La Liga counterparts Atletico Madrid saw off the challenge of AC Milan with a 5-1 aggregate win. Ligue 1 leaders PSG had an easy time against Bayer Leverkusen with Zlatan Ibrahimovic helping them emerge 6-1 winners.

The draw will be conducted in Nyon, Switzerland at 11.00GMT.

And That's thesteifmastertake!! 

European Leagues Review: Man Utd Pay the Penalty against Liverpool, Bayern Edge Closer to Bundesliga as Messi Becomes Barca’s Leading Goalscorer in La Liga

ENGLAND

Red cards, penalty goals and controversial decisions were the order of the day in the Barclays English Premier League this past weekend. At the peak of all that were Liverpool who became the latest club to pile misery on David Moyes’ Manchester United after the Reds embarrassed the reigning Premier League champions 3-0 at Old Trafford. Two converted penalties from Steven Gerrard and an 84^th minute goal from Luis Suarez helped the visitors claim a famous away win and complete a double over their North-west nemesis who were reduced to 10-men following Nemanja Vidic’s red card. The win saw the Merseyside outfit move to second on the log, 4 points behind leaders Chelsea with Brendan Rodgers’s having a game in hand. Arsenal edged out North-London rivals Tottenham by a solitary goal from Thomas Rosicky to remain in the title mix. On Saturday, Aston Villa put a dent on Chelsea’s title credentials with a 1-0 win in a game that saw the Blues’ Ramires and Willian receive their marching orders. Manchester City crushed Hull City 2-0 in spite of Vincent Kompany getting sent off early in the game while Everton continued their push for Champions League football, Seamus Coleman netting a stoppage time goal in a 2-1 win against battling Cardiff City.

SPAIN

Lionel Messi became Barcelona’s all-time top goalscorer, the Argentine grabbing a hat-trick in a 7-0 drubbing of Osasuna at Camp Nou. Messi opened the scoring for the Catalans in the 18^th minute before Alexis Sanchez and Andres Iniesta both found the back of the net before half time. Two more goals from Messi after the interval and a goal each from Tello and Pedro completed the rout for the defending La Liga champions who remain 4 points behind leaders Real Madrid ahead of the El-Classico next weekend. Diego Costa scored his 22^nd goal of the season to help Atletico Madrid see off Espanyol 1-0 and remain second on the log while Cristiano Ronaldo also found the back of the net for frontrunners Real Madrid at Malaga. Rayo Vallecano collected their third straight win with a 3-1 home success over Almeria.

GERMANY

Bayern Munich could wrap up the Bundesliga title next weekend at Mainz after the Bavarians latest 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen extended their lead at the top to 23 points. Mario Mandukic put Pep Guardiola’s team ahead in the 44^th minute and Bastian Scheweinsteiger made it 2-0 7 minutes after the resumption to put Bayern on course for their 17^th straight win in the Bundesliga. Stefan Kiesling drew one back for the Bayer but the hosts would not be denied as they saw off the rest of the match. Borussia Dortmund shaky season continued as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach while Schalke moved above Leverkusen to 3^rd position with a 2-1 win at Augusburg.

ITALY

Serie A Champions-elect, Juventus, surged 17 points clear of the chasing park courtesy of an Andrea Pirlo freekick that gave the Old Lady a 1-0 success at Genoa FC. The Italian struck in the 89^th minute to give Juve their 5^th straight win and open what looks like an unassailable lead although second-placed Roma have two games in hand. Vincenzo Mortela’s Fiorentina won 3-1 against Chieveo to continue their push for European football next season and so did Inter Milan who won 2-0 at Hellas Verona. Antonio Cassano came back to haunt his former employers AC Milan, the Italian forward netting twice in Parma’s 4-2 win over the Rossoneri.

FRANCE

The top two in the French Ligue 1 both won with leaders PSG claiming a 2-0 success over visiting Saint-Etienne, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring both goals. Former Premier League player Dimitar Berbatov was the star for Monaco who edged out Olympique Lyon 3-2 in a five-goal thriller. The Bulgarian set up Valere Germain and James Rodriguez’s opening two goals for Claudio Ranieri’s outfit before scoring his own in the 52^nd minute. Jimmy Briand found the back of the net for Lyon with his 78^th minute goal setting up a tense finale but the Monaco-based club held on for a win that keeps them 8 points behind leaders PSG. AC Ajjacio’s survival chances suffered further blows after they allowed Guingamp to come from a goal down and leave Stade Francois with a 2-1 win.  

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

Obbayi Gets Boost from BrighterMonday for His Mt. Everest Expedition

On March 24, Steve Obbayi will set out from Nairobi to become the first Kenyan to climb Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak. The 39-year-old today received a shot in the arm from BrighterMonday who sponsored him to the tune of Kshs. 1.75 million.

Obbayi and his colleague, Toby Storie-Pugh, Chase Bank Kenya Everest Expedition founder, will battle the peak to inspire Kenyans to chase their dreams and to raise awareness for the world's most neglected development issue, sanitation.

Obbayi, and Storie-Pugh have already summited Mount Kenya, the tallest peak in Kenya at 5,199 meters, during the team selection process. They also conquered Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa at 5,895 meters via the Rongai route.

“The ultimate goal in this expedition is to show that a regular guy from Africa is capable of achieving in non-traditional areas,” said Obbayi during the cheque presentation. “Go out there, take the first step, keep a focused eye out and the pieces will fall into place. Your dream will turn into reality,” he added.

“We at BrighterMonday are stimulated by the resolves of these two Kenyans who area about to inspire a global community, to approach life head on, with determination, courage and with resolve like that needed while seeking a job anywhere in this world,” said BrighterMonday Sales Director Robert Kimani.

The team will arrive at the Everest Base Camp by early April and plans to summit the mountain by late May. They will climb the South Col route.

The Everest Expedition is sponsored by several Kenyan and International companies, using Obbayi’s story to inspire others.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

2014 Standard Chartered Road to Anfield Set for Weekend

The 2014 Standard Chartered Road to Anfield 5-aside amateur football tournament will kick off tomorrow, Saturday, at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS) grounds in Nairobi.

The tournament which is in its 2^nd edition after the inaugural leg last year will see 32 teams battle it out for a the Road to Anfield trophy which will guarantee them an all-expense paid trip to Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium in May. The teams have been training all week ahead of the high stakes tournament that will be played on Saturday and Sunday when the finals will be held.

Among the teams which will compete for this year’s honours include favorites Standard Media Group headed by sports writer Erick Ochieng, Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services, Mediamax, KBC, Capital Group and Radio Africa, all which are media teams and will face 25 other teams drawn from Standard Chartered Branches.

The group games will be played in a round-robin format with 8 groups of 4 teams each. Winners and runners up of every group will advance to the knockout stage with respective winners moving to the quarters, semis and finals which will be played on Sunday.

Every team will have seven players, 5 active and 2 reserves, with each game lasting 4 minutes each half.

And That's thesteifmastertake!! 

Kenya Premier League WEEK 5 Preview: Leopards Face Stern Test at Sofapaka as Gor Mahia Aim to Extinguish Western Stima

Bundled out of continental football at first round attempt, wounded Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards return to Kenya Premier League assignments in full time this weekend. The two, arguably the biggest clubs in Kenyan football, could not muster their way around their more established opponents from South and North Africa with Kogalo suffering an embarrassing 5-0 defeat against Esperance in Tunis while AFC Leopards battled to a 2-2 draw against SuperSport United but which wasn’t enough to give them progress into the advanced stages of the CAF Confederations Cup.

To make it worse to the Leopards, they suffered a 1-0 defeat to a winless Muhoroni Youth outfit, a result that finds the 13-time league winners second from bottom with three games under their belt. James Nandwa’s side face a tricky tie in the form of Sofapaka on Sunday in Machakos. The Batoto ba Mungu lost 1-0 to Chemelil last Sunday but have had a far more steady start to their season as compared to Ingwe and they will be confident to get something off AFC who look to be stumbling under the starter’s gun. Another defeat for Leopards and coach Nandwa may as well face the sacking if recent speculations are anything to go by.

Reigning Champions Gor Mahia on the other hand have had a perfect start to their domestic league season winning their opening two matches and victory against surprise league leaders Western Stima on Sunday could move them to the top of the standings should other results go their way. Gor have kept a clean sheet in both matches and will be favorites to take the three points against Stima who have a porous defense that has conceded 5 goals in four matches. 

The other match on Sunday will see Tusker go for their third win on the trot against a winless KCH as second-placed Chemelil aim to pile more misery on bottom-placed Nakuru AllStars who are the only team to get off the mark.

On Saturday, Sony Sugar will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Ken Kenyatta’s KRA in Awendo while Bandari and Thika United who both dropped down the log with losses clash in Coast. Stalemate-masters, Ulinzi Stars, host Mathare United in Nakuru with the Soldiers looking for their first three points of the season having drawn all their first four matches.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

Heineken Launches 2nd Edition of the Foosball Tournament

"Team Masters" of Amos Abuga and Steve Steifmaster Ayoo at the Foosball Challenge

For the second year running, international beer brand, Heineken, will give its consumers an opportunity to experience Live screening of the UEFA Champions League through the Heineken Foosball tournament.

The tournament which will target football fans and the brand’s consumers in East Africa will see teams of two compete to represent their bars and clubs in the national finals slated for April 30^th. The winning team will be flown to the legendary island of Ibiza in Spain where they will experience the ultimate Champions League finals live screening alongside VIPs from across the world.

“We aim to create exciting UEFA Champions League experiences for our consumers by engaging them in a way only Heineken can do. The Heineken foosball tournament aims at challenging our consumers to demonstrate their skills and talent,” said Heineken East Africa General Manager Koen Morshuis during a media launch in Nairobi.

This 2^nd edition of the tournament will be held in various premium nightlife spots across the country with participating teams standing to win instant and exclusive UEFA Champions League merchandize during the early stages of the competition. Some of the outlets include Taidys and Black Diamond in Nairobi, Sheba and Kahamas in Coast, Hush Club in Kakamega, Taidys in Nakuru, Dallas Inn in Kisii and Samba Marina in Kisumu among others.

Foosball is a game where opponents stand on either side of a table fitted with miniature footballers, goals and ball. The aim of the game is to outscore you opponent within a given time frame.

Meanwhile a team comprising of pundits Fred Maingi and Alex Isaboke won the foosball media challenge on the night defeating “Team Masters” of Steve Steifmaster Ayoo and Amos Abuga 10-5 in the finals. The two teams strolled into the finals whooping their opponents with poise and relative ease to set up a tense finale but it was “Team Maingi” who held their nerves to emerge the media champions.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

KPL Week Four Preview: Under Pressure Ulinzi Play Nairobi City Stars, Sofapaka, Chemelil Fight for Top Spot

Two games will be aired Live on television this weekend as the Kenya Premier League enters its fourth week this weekend.

The two Live feeds will come from the 4000-capacity Ruaraka Stadium which will host double header matches starting with the early kick off clash between 2012 Champions Tusker against Bandari. Promoted side KRA will then entertain second from bottom Muhoroni Youth who are still looking for their first point of the new season. Both matches will be played on Saturday.

Other matches on the day will see Mathare United host KCB with the former looking to build on their 1-0 win over Bandari last weekend while the Bankers coach Abdallah Juma still in pursuit for his team’s first three points of the season.

Ulinzi Stars coach Salim Ali must be feeling the heat in spite of not having lost a match this season. The Soldiers have drawn all their three matches this, a run of results good enough for 11th position where they find themselves. They will be gunning for their win of the season when they host Robinson Ofuokwo’s Nairobi City Stars who were held 1-1 by KCB last weekend.

With Sony Sugar and Gor Mahia not in action this weekend, second-placed Sofapaka and Western Stima who are fourth on the log both have a chance to move to the summit of the league when they tackle Chemelil and Nakuru AllStars respectively. Both teams got back to winning ways last weekend with Sam Timbe’s Sofapaka mauling Nakuru AllStars 3-0 while Western Stima collected a 2-1 success over Thika United with their new coach Henry Omino watching from the stands.

A win for Sofapaka will put them on the summit at least until Sony get back to action while a defeat could as well see the Sugar men from Chemelil move to the top.

Nakuru All Stars sacked coach Oliver Page after their poor start to the season which has seen them lose all their three matches conceding 7 goals and not finding the back of the net even once. Assistant coach Peter Okidi will take charge of the team on temporary terms.

A total of 41 goals have been scored since the beginning of the season with Sofapaka leading the scoring chats with 8 goals while Nakuru AllStars have conceded the most (7). The only defenses yet to be breached thus far are those for table topping Sony Sugar and defending champions Gor Mahia. The two are yet to concede any goal.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

Standard Chartered Launches 2014 Road to Anfield Kenya Edition

Media Combined team celebrate winning Plare in Road to Anfield tourney last year

The 2014 Kenyan edition of the Standard Chartered Road to Anfield 5-aside football tournament will be played on the weekend of 15-16^th March, 2014 at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS).

The tournament which will be on its 2^nd edition after the inaugural leg last year will see 32 teams compete for this year’s trophy which will guarantee 7 lucky players an all-expenses paid trip to Anfield, an iconic stadium and the home of Liverpool Football Club.

A total of 25 teams out of the 32 will be drawn from the bank’s branches with the 7 remaining slots reserved for local media houses.

“We are ready to kick off the 2014 edition after a highly successful tournament last year,” said Standard Chartered CEO Lamin Manjang during the launch of the tournament at the bank’s offices today.

Among the media teams who will compete for the honours include the Standard Media, Nation Media Group, Mediamax, KBC, Radio Africa, Royal Media and Capital. They will compete against Stanchart teams christened with names like Oh Yes, Checker Mates, Phoenix, Black Wallets, Kenyatta Avenue among others.

The games will be played in a round-robin format with 8 groups of 4 teams each. Winners and runners up of every group will advance to the knockout stage with respective winners moving to the quarters, semis and finals respectively. Pan Africa Life Insurance won last year's edition after edging out Moi Airbase 2-0 in post-match penalties.

Every team will have seven players, 5 active and 2 reserves, with each game lasting 4 minutes each half. There will be penalty kicks in the event of a stalemate . “All the seven members of a team will travel to Anfield plus two other select players. If a media team wins, two Stanchart players will travel along with them and vice-versa,” said Manjang.

In addition to the once in a lifetime UK trip, the winning team will also get to watch an EPL match at the stadium. The players will also receive professional training from some of the club’s past legends and coaches prior to the grand finale international tournament at Anfield on May 13th where they will face 13 other teams drawn from around the world.

The Standard Chartered Trophy-Road to Anfield tournament is run in partnership by Standard Chartered Bank, the main sponsors of Liverpool Football Club.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!

European Leagues Review: Liverpool’s Title Push Gathers Momentum, Bayern and Juventus Cruising in Bundesliga and Serie A Title Races

ENGLAND

Liverpool ended their bogey run against Southampton by claiming a 3-0 success at the St. Mary’s, their first since 2003. The victory helped the Reds leapfrog Manchester City and Arsenal into the second position in the race for the Barclays Premier League title. The Merseyside outfit scored through Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and captain Steven Gerard to move to within 4 points of league leaders Chelsea who cemented their top position with a 3-1 win at Fulham earlier in the day. Andre Schurrle became the third German to hit a hat-trick in the Premier League as he scored all the three goals in the West London derby. Irish international Jonathan Walters converted a 76^th minute penalty to lead Stoke to a 1-0 win over Arsenal who dropped to third on the log while Tottenham piled more misery on relegation-threatened Cardiff City with a solitary goal win from Roberto Soldado. Christian Benteke netted a brace for Aston Villa in their 4-1 win over Norwich City.

SPAIN

The biggest match of the weekend, the Madrid derby, pitting league leaders Real Madrid and city rivals Atletico Madrid ended on a 2-2 stalemate. Karim Benzema gave visiting Real Madrid fans something to cheer about in as early as the 3^rd minute when he side footed a cross from Angel Di Maria into the back of the net but their lead lasted for only 25 minutes as Koke drew the home team level with a lovely finish from inside Real’s penalty area. Diego Simeone’s side then took the lead just before the interval, captain Gabi thundering in a pile driver past a helpless Diego Lopez but an 82^nd goal from Cristiano Ronaldo ensured the spoils were shared. Barcelona took full advantage of the shared points between the two Madrid teams by thundering past Almeria 4-1 to reduce the gap between them and leaders Real to one point. Alexis Sanchez, Lionel Messi, Carles Puyol and Xavi were all on the scoresheet for Pep Guardiola’s men. Champions League-chasing Athletico Bilbao hit Granada 4-0 while Levante and Sevilla were only other teams who registered victory among the teams in the top 10 with 2-0 and 1-0 wins over Osasuna and Real Sociedad respectively.

GERMANY

League leaders Bayern Munich edged closer to retaining their Bundesliga title with a resounding 5-1 win over Schalke 04 at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Dutchman Arjen Robben hit a sublime hat-trick with Mario Mandzukic and David Alaba also finding the back of the net for the unbeatable Bavarians who ensured the gap at the top is kept at 20 points with only 33 points remaining for contention. Borussia Dortmund went back to winning ways with a 3-0 humbling of visiting Nurnberg but there was more despair for Sami Hyypia’s Bayern Munchen who went down 1-0 to visiting Mainz. Hoffenheim were the biggest winners of the Bundesliga matchday 23 as they Wolfsburg 6-2 to end coach Dieter Hecking side’s three-game winning run. Werder Bremen put a huge dent on Hamburger’s survival hopes with a 1-0 win while Stuttgart’s poor run when they lost 2-1 at Eintracht Braus, their 8^th loss in a row.

ITALY

AC Milan gave a spirited fight but wasted too many chances against Juventus who claimed three points at the San Siro with a 2-0 success. The Rossoneri had one too many chances to put the game beyond Juventus’ reach even before half time but poor finishing was their main undoing as the Old Lady took the lead a minute before the interval courtesy of Fernando Lllorente. Carlos Tevez netted his 15^th goal of the season 8 minutes after the hour mark to secure the points for the run-away Serie A leaders. Second and third-placed AS Roma and Napoli both lost points, the former involved in barren draw against Inter Milan while the latter drew 1-1 at Livorno. Parma’s push for Europa League continued when they nicked Sassuolo 1-0 while Cagliari gave themselves some breathing space from the relegation zone with a 3-0 thrashing of Udinese.

FRANCE

Edison Cavani scored on his return from injury as league leaders PSG continued to push for their 4^th Ligue 1 title with a 2-0 win over Olympique Marseille. The Argentine netted in the 79^th minute after Maxwell had put the defending champions in the lead five minutes after the restart. Monaco lost ground in the title chase losing 2-0 at Saint Etienne who are pushing for Champions League football. Lille edged out Ajaccio 3-2 in a five-goal thriller with Salomon Kalou grabbing a hat-trick and Gadji Tallo netting the two goals for the rock bottom Ajaccio.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!